Peter de Villiers has made a trenchant case for his appointment as the next South Africa head coach.
Coach points to honesty as the key quality
Peter de Villiers has made a trenchant case for his appointment as the next South Africa head coach.
The Springboks are hunting for a replacement for Jake White and the 50-year-old de Villiers is convinced he is the right man to lead the world champions.
De Villiers is one of four candidates on the current Bok coaching shortlist - which also includes the Bulls' Super 14-winning coach Heyneke Meyer, White's current backline coach Allister Coetzee and 1995 World Cup-winning winger Chester Williams.
With more than 20 years coaching experience behind him, De Villiers certainly does not lack experience, but the one aspect he feels makes him stand out from his rivals is the "honesty" that he brings to the table.
"Obviously I want to make a contribution to South African rugby," De Villiers told
rugby365.com. "However, the unique contribution I can make is honesty.
"The other stuff all the coaches have. They can all coach, they all have technical expertise and good rugby knowledge, but my strength is that I bring honesty to the table."
De Villiers, who began coaching at Young Gardens in 1981, has won many accolades at both age-group and senior level - with an International Rugby Board (IRB) Under-21 world championship and an IRB Nations Cup title to his name.
He certainly has come a long way, but he now believes he is ready to take the next step and coach his country."It is the logical step for me, having come through the ranks, to go for the Bok coaching position," said De Villiers, who was also part of Nick Mallett's Bok management team back in 1997.
"I have been blessed by my creator with talent. But other aspects where I can make a difference is that I know people and I respect people, I am a good judge of character, I know how to get the best out of people."
Talent
More importantly, De Villiers believes there is an abundance of talent in South Africa, with him adding: "We are so blessed with the talent at our disposal that even when you make an error [in selection], you can still get it right and put out a very competitive side," he added.
There is a perception, after South Africa's World Cup campaign, that the Boks do not have adequate back-up players - a notion based on the fact that the Bok 'B-Team' very nearly lost a pool match to Tonga.
De Villiers, however, believes the talent is there; it just has to be developed.
"We definitely have the depth; our second best, third best and even fourth best side is better than the best of most countries in the world," he said. "All that is required is that everybody should be given an equal opportunity to develop, and given an opportunity to gain confidence."
Like all the other candidates, De Villiers is fully aware of the 'unique' hurdles a Springbok coach could face, but he does not see them as that. He chooses to see them as a challenge that can easily be overcome.
"You must realise that you play not only for yourself, but those guys on the sidelines who couldn't make it, the supporters and everybody," he said.
"That is why there is a such a huge drive for victory.
"Also, there are so much negativity in the country and people strive for something positive in their lives. That is one way to unite the country, through sport.
"The pressure will always be there, with the public demanding a winning team - it's quite natural and I look forward to that challenge."
SARU
De Villiers began his rugby career as a scrum-half with the Young Gardens club in the old South African Rugby Union (SARU) non-racial competition in 1976.
From 1977 to 1978 he played for Perseverance College and during this time he was chosen for the Griqualand West SARU team. In 1978 he also attended the SARU national trials.
He began coaching at Young Gardens as captain/coach in 1981 and continued as coach after he stopped playing (in 1987) until 1992.
From 1993 to 1994 he coached at Athlone Training College where the team won the Inter-College title in both his years as coach.
In 1995 he coached the Correctional Services team and in 1996 he moved to the famous Tygerberg club in Parow, Cape Town.
He continued his rise through the ranks and in 1998 he was appointed assistant coach of the Western Province Vodacom Cup team.
De Villiers coached the South Africa Under-19 team in both 1998 and 1999 and then moved on to the SA Under-21 team from 2004 - where he won the IRB championship in 2005. He also coached the Falcons in the Currie Cup competition.
